West Ham co-owner David Gold has branded Match Of The Day pundit Alan Hansen a “pompous fool” in an amazing Twitter attack.

Gold has not forgiven Hansen for a throwaway remark he made about football club chairmen two years ago.

The Hammers’ joint chairman had granted the BBC access all areas - including to his palatial Surrey home and the directors’ box at Upton Park - for a behind-the-scenes feature on Match Of The Day 2.

But, in the subsequent studio discussion, hosted by presenter Colin Murray, Hansen was allegedly dismissive of chairmen who sign autographs and pose for photographs with fans.

Gold was understood to be livid that his matchday hospitality should be compromised by an obtuse comment.

And, buoyed by the Hammers’ encouraging start on their return to the Premier League mainstream (seven points and three clean sheets from four games), Gold went on the warpath - and not because their goalless draw at Norwich was the last game shown on MOTD on Saturday.

Responding to a follower’s unconnected observation about Hansen, Gold posted: “I can’t remember exactly, I think he said a good chairman doesn’t sign autographs or interact with fans. He also implied that a good chairman shouldn’t have a football opinion. Alan Hansen is a pompous fool and owes me an apology.

“It’s interesting that after my feature on MOTD, the BBC sent me a copy of the show but cut out the insulting comments by AH.

“The date of the interview staring (sic) Alan Hansen was 3rd October 2010. Would love to get unexpurgated copy.”

Gold is not thought to have any problems with the BBC as a corporation or Match Of The Day itself.

War of words: Gold has history with Hansen (Image: AFP/Getty)

His long-running beef is with Hansen, a Double-winning Liverpool captain in 1986 and regarded as the doyen of football pundits.

When it was revealed in the summer that Hansen was paid £40,000 a show, and was staying with Match Of The Day after agreeing to a £500,000 wage decrease, Gold tweeted: “I see one of the worst and most pompous pundits on BBC has taken a big pay cut. I’m stunned he gets paid at all.”

Gold and his long-time business associate David Sullivan bought a 62 per cent majority stake in West Ham in January 2010, pumping around £100 million into the club to save the Hammers from collapse.

Their decision to axe manager Gianfranco Zola and replace him with Avram Grant backfired, but Sam Allardyce won promotion back to the top flight at the first attempt.

* WEST HAM manager Sam Allardyce has turned down the chance to sign free agents Mikael Silvestre, John Mensah and Anthony Vanden Borre.

The trio joined the Hammers on trial last week, but Allardyce was not impressed and has put a block on any permanent deals.

Ex-Manchester United and Arsenal defender Silvestre is without a club after leaving Werder Bremen, former Portsmouth midfielder Vanden Borre was last at Belgian club Genk and centre-back Mensah, once of Sunderland, left Lyon in July.